Mizan online, the judiciary news agency, reported on Wednesday that Alireza Akbari was sentenced “to death for corruption on the ground and for breaching the internal and external security of the country for passing information” to the United Kingdom.
The United States said on Friday it was joining the United Kingdom in calling on Iran not to execute an Iranian-British citizen who has been sentenced to death for espionage and whose execution may be “imminent”.
Mizan online, the judiciary news agency, reported on Wednesday that Alireza Akbari was sentenced “to death for corruption on the ground and for breaching the internal and external security of the country for passing information” to the United Kingdom.
“The charges against Akbari and his death sentence are politically motivated, and his execution would be unacceptable,” State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said, citing a “possible imminent execution.”
He called during a press briefing for Akbari’s “immediate release” and denounced reports that “indicated that Akbari was drugged, tortured during his detention, interrogated for thousands of hours and forced to confess.”
On Thursday, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported that Akbari, 61, held high-ranking positions in Iran’s security and defense apparatus.
British Foreign Minister James Cleverly denounced the verdict and called on Tehran not to execute the British and Iranian citizen, calling it a “politically motivated act”.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
